Game Of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke has joined the cast of of Disney’s Star Wars spin-off movie about a young Han Solo.

Alden Ehrenreich, best known for his roles in Hail, Caesar! and Blue Jasmine, was officially cast as a young Han Solo in July. A film telling the character’s origin story is due to start shooting in January for a May 2018 release.

Following months of rumours, Disney announced in October that Donald Glover – also known as rapper Childish Gambino – has been cast as the film’s young Lando Calrissian.

Now the Star Wars website has announced that Clarke, currently shooting her role as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones season 7, has joined the film in an unspecified role. “Clarke’s role will round out a dynamic cast of characters that Han and Chewie will encounter on their adventures,” the website’s post said.

HBO

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, directors of The Lego Movie, will be behind the camera on the spin-off film, whose title has yet to be revealed. It will arrive in 2018 after this year’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and next year’s sequel to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which is also untitled at present.